Santa Fe Province

Santa Fe (in the text of the provincial Constitution: province of Santa Fe) is one of the twenty-three provinces that make up the Argentine Republic. In turn, it is one of the twenty-four self-governing states or first-order jurisdictions that make up the country, and one of the twenty-four national legislative electoral districts. Its capital is the city of Santa Fe. It is located in the west of the Litoral Region and is part of the integrated Central region, bordering to the north with Chaco, to the east with the Paraná River that separates it from Corrientes and Entre Ríos, to the south with the province of Buenos Aires and to the west with the province of Cordoba and Santiago del Estero. With some 3,195,000 inhabitants in 2010, it is the third most populous first-order jurisdiction —behind the province of Buenos Aires and the province of Córdoba— and with 24 inhab/km², the fifth most densely populated first-order jurisdiction, behind the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the province of Tucumán, the province of Buenos Aires and Misiones.

Its main urban centers are the city of Santa Fe, capital of the province, the city of Rosario located in the south of the province, and the city of Rafaela located in the central west of the province.

Its capital was founded by Juan de Garay in 1573 and it is one of the most important cities in the Argentine Republic, due to its history, its culture and its contribution to national construction, it is worth noting its geostrategic position at the international level, being the first city-port of the region to be located at the confluence of two important Argentine rivers. One of them, the Paraná River, finds its last overseas port in the provincial capital, which is currently in the process of reactivation and with strong real estate investments.

For its part, the city of Rosario also stands out in the province, a populous urban center in the southern province developed to take advantage of its port. As well as the city of Rafaela located in the heart of the main dairy basin in the country.

It is pertinent to mention that the province also has ports in the towns of Reconquista and Villa Constitución.

Santa Fe's GDP represents 10% of the national GDP. Together with Córdoba and Buenos Aires, it is one of the provinces that contribute the most to the Argentine economy. Within the provincial PBG, tertiary activity is the most significant with 68% of the total; the secondary sector contributes 22% and finally, the primary sector corresponds to 10%.

The local hero is Brigadier General Estanislao López, called the Patriarch of the Federation who decided the definitive autonomy of the province in 1815 together with Mariano Vera, as well as being the editor of the first constitution of an Argentine province).

According to data from the 2010 National Human Development Report, its human development index (0.832) is the 9th highest in Argentina, behind the province of Mendoza, and ahead of Río Negro.

Santa Fe is known as «the invincible Province of Santa Fe», a nickname that appears on its provincial flag, or simply as «the invincible province».

History

Among the original peoples of this region at the time of the arrival of the Europeans, were the Tobas, Timbúes, Mocovíes, Pilagáes, Guaycurúes, Quiloazas and Guaraníes. They were nomads, they lived by hunting, fishing and gathering fruits.

The first European settlement in the territory of present-day Argentina dates from 1527, at the confluence of the Coronda and Carcarañá rivers, when Sebastián Gaboto, passing north, founded the fort of Sancti Spiritus, which was destroyed two more years late by the natives.

Santa Fe Foundation

By order of Martín Suárez de Toledo, governor of Asunción, starting from that city, Juan de Garay, in his capacity as Captain and Major Justice in the conquest and population of Paraná and Río de la Plata, founded the city of Santa Faith on November 15, 1573. The Foundation Act states that the limits of its jurisdiction were:

Others: I name and sign by Jurisdiction of this city on the side of the road from Paraguay to the Cape of the Anegadizos and boys and on the river down the road of Buenos Aires twenty-five more avaxo leagues from Santi Spiritus, and assisi the part of El Tucuman cinquenta leguas to the ground from the Barrancas of this River and from the other part of Paraná another fifty.

Acta de Fundación de Santa Fe.

According to the act, the original limits reached in the north to near the El Rey stream, in the south to the Pago de los Arroyos (south of after the Medio stream), in the east to the Corriente river and west to the Round Well.

Garay was the first lieutenant governor of Santa Fe, leaving the territory established as Government Tenure of Santa Fe. The first mayors of the town council were Juan de Espinosa and Horduño de Arbillo.

An act of the Cabildo de Santa Fe dated April 26, 1588, specified the limits of its jurisdiction, indicating that it was separated from Corrientes by the auction of the large floodplains; with Santiago del Estero: the big Crosses, which is above the big swamp, on top of the Marchinsacati walls; with Córdoba: the Round Well, which are the terms that Juan de Garay pointed out; and with Buenos Aires: with the Querandí people, who are in the middle of the road to Buenos Aires, which is the stream, which is below La Matanza.

Due to flooding, it was decided to place the city in its current location. The first transfers of settlers began to be carried out in isolation in 1651, but there were protests and appeals to the decision, so, prior to the construction of the case, the transfer was completed only in 1661, when the qualifier was added. de la Vera Cruz to the name of Santa Fe. Finally, the royal authorization was granted by Royal Decree of August 6, 1670.

19th century

Since the May Revolution

After the Revolution of May 25, 1810, the regime of Intendant Governorates was maintained and Santa Fe continued to depend on Buenos Aires until April 26, 1815 when it appointed its own governor.

On June 5, 1810, the envoy of the First Board of Buenos Aires, Colonel José Espínola, arrived in Santa Fe, delivering to the lieutenant governor Prudencio de Gastañaduy the communication of the installation of the Board after the May Revolution, and calling for the appointment of a deputy. The date of June 9 was set to hold an open town hall to appoint him, but a dispute between the supporters of Juan Francisco Tarragona and Francisco Candioti prevented it. On June 19, Mariano Moreno ordered Lieutenant Governor Gastañaduy to travel to Buenos Aires, with Pedro Tomás de Larrechea as mayor of first vote temporarily remaining in his place and Melchor de Echagüe y Andía as military commander. On August 10, 1810, the Board appointed Colonel Manuel Ruiz as the new lieutenant governor.

On September 22, Manuel Belgrano received the order to carry out an Expedition to Paraguay, for which he was given authority over the jurisdiction of Santa Fe. On October 1, he incorporated the Compañía de Blandengues de Santa Fe into the expedition, made up of 40 soldiers and 60 recruits, and ordered that a second company be formed with another 100 men under the command of Captain Agustín Martín Dacosta. On October 16 the forces crossed the Bajada del Paraná (present-day Paraná and then belonging to the city of Santa Fe).

On December 18, the open council met, which appointed Tarragona as deputy.

On February 10, 1811, the provincial boards were created, installed by Ruiz in Santa Fe on July 23, 1811. It was made up of: José Ignacio Echagüe and Francisco Alsogaray. On February 14, 1812, Lieutenant Colonel Juan Antonio Pereira took over as lieutenant governor, who by order of the First Triumvirate dissolved the provincial board.

On December 5, 1812, Colonel Antonio Luis Beruti took office as lieutenant governor.

On February 27, 1812, Belgrano established the batteries Libertad and Independencia on the banks of the Paraná River and made his soldiers swear the national flag for the first time in Rosario, a territory dependent on the city of Santa Fe in those years.

On February 3, 1813, on the shores of the San Lorenzo Convent, General José de San Martín fought his only combat in Argentine territory, which almost cost him his life.

In June 1813, Luciano Montes de Oca took over the tenure of government until February 1814, when he was briefly followed by Colonel Ignacio Álvarez Thomas and on May 9, Eustoquio Díaz Vélez.

Provincial autonomy

On March 20, 1815, the artiguista forces commanded by Manuel Francisco Artigas, Eusebio Hereñú and the river flotilla of Luis Lanché disembarked in Santa Fe; three days later, Díaz Vélez left the city.

On April 2 —while the Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, Carlos María de Alvear, fell due to the rebellion of Álvarez Thomas (at the time in command of an army sent to Santa Fe to fight José Gervasio Artigas, who opposed the central government)—the head of the local militia, Francisco Candioti, peacefully took over the government by appointment of the cabildo, thus beginning the era of Santa Fe as an autonomous province. On April 26, 1815, Candioti's election was ratified by a popular election. This stage was short, since Candioti was ill and on June 25 he was temporarily replaced by Pedro Tomás de Larrechea, Candioti dying on August 27.

During Larrechea's internship, General Juan José Viamonte arrived from Buenos Aires to Santa Fe at the head of an Observation Army of 3,000 men, who influenced the reestablishment of the government's dependency on September 2, 1815 by the Santa Fe Buenos Aires, naming Francisco Tarragona as lieutenant governor.

However, after the Añapiré uprising on March 2, 1816, the caudillos Mariano Vera and Estanislao López laid siege to the city, and Viamonte capitulated on March 21. They deposed the lieutenant governor and proclaimed the sovereignty of the province and its entry into the League of Free Peoples, of Artigas.

A new army, commanded this time by Manuel Belgrano, was sent to Santa Fe by the new acting Supreme Director, Ignacio Álvarez Thomas. But on April 9, 1816, General Eustoquio Díaz Vélez, with the support of the officers and troops, in order to end the civil war, agreed with the federals on the Pact of Santo Tomé and forced the substitute director to resign.

On May 10, 1816, Vera was elected governor and appointed López as commander of arms.

On May 28, 1816, a treaty was signed between representatives of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe whereby it was agreed that Buenos Aires would recognize the autonomy of Santa Fe, setting the limit between the two at the Arroyo del Medio:

Article 1. It will be recognized in Buenos Aires, free and independent to the province of Santa Fe, until the result of the Constitution to be given by the Sovereign Congress. Its territory is demarcated in the Arroyo del Medio: it will be dependent on the strong of the Esquina and Melincué, and that of Mercedes if it is justified to have been of this jurisdiction (...)

El Estanislao López, the Patriarch of the Federation is the procer of the province

Domingo Cullen, 10th provincial governor.

After defeating a revolution against him without a fight, Vera resigned from his position on June 14, 1818. After several days of uncertainty, López took office as governor on July 1, 1818, being ratified as governor on July 8 July 1819.

In 1818, López issued a strongly conservative provincial constitution, after rejecting a project proposed by a provincial assembly. During the civil struggles of 1820, the troops from Santa Fe were decisive in the defeat of the centralist Buenos Aires army. Thus, over time, López gradually became the Patriarch of the Federation , establishing himself as a benchmark for the Federal party until his death in 1838.

After López's death, his secretary and right-hand man, Domingo Cullen, was elected governor. However, since Cullen was a potential rival to the Buenos Aires governor and in charge of foreign relations for the Confederation, Juan Manuel de Rosas, he sought and obtained his capture and execution after Cullen negotiated with the French forces that were blockading the port of Buenos Aires. Aires and therefore meant a crisis for the export economy of Santa Fe. In this way Cullen had challenged the authority that Rosas wanted to signify, after the overthrow, Rosas appointed the pro-Rosista Juan Pablo López as governor. This new governor remained in power, alternating with Pascual Echagüe, until the invasion of the province by the Great Army of Justo José de Urquiza, in December 1851 and during his tenure a new National Constitution was adopted on May 1, 1853.

After the National Organization, the province lived an era of peace, only altered by strong electoral contests between the two political currents: the federal, a follower of Urquiza, and the national or liberal, a follower of Bartolomé Mitre.

A law of October 26, 1883, during the government of the presbyter Manuel Zaballa, expanded the number of departments to 9, subdividing the original 4. The La Capital department was divided into: La Capital and Las Colonias; the Rosario department was divided into: Rosario, San Lorenzo and General López; the San Jerónimo department was divided into: San Jerónimo and Iriondo; the San José department (today Garay) was divided into: San José and San Javier.

By National Law No. 1,894 of November 13, 1886, the Interprovincial Boundary Agreement was approved, signed on September 15 of that year in Buenos Aires, between the provinces of Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero, which It completely delimited the borders between the two and extended the territory of Santa Fe to the parallel of 28°S, at the expense of the National Territory of Chaco.

A law of December 31, 1890 increased the number of departments to 18:

• Capital (subdivided into: Capital, San Justo, Vera)
• The Colonies (divided in: Las Colonias, Castellanos, San Cristobal)
• San Javier (subdivided in: San Javier, Reconquista)
• San Jerónimo (subdivided in: San Jerónimo, San Martín)
• Iriondo (divided into: Iriondo, Belgrano)
• San Lorenzo (divided into: San Lorenzo, Caseros)
• General López (subdivided in: General López, Constitution)
• San José: it became called Garay
• Rosario

20th century

On October 30, 1907, the 9 de Julio Department was created with parts of those of Vera and San Cristóbal.

The political hegemony of the conservatives was challenged by the formation of new political parties: the Radical Civic Union and the Progressive Democratic Party, which emerged from the Liga del Sur, led by Lisandro de la Torre from Rosario. It was also of great national importance, in 1912, the creation of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, from the Grito de Alcorta, by the Santa Fe town of Alcorta, which brought together the chacareros (small and medium agricultural producers).

With the reform of the electoral law in 1912 (Sáenz Peña Law), Santa Fe was the first to apply it in its 1912 elections, which gave victory for the first time to the UCR, which governed until the 1930 coup In 1932 the PDP came to the government, with Luciano Molinas as governor.

A central corner during the Rosariazo, by Carlos Saldi.

During the Peronist era, Santa Fe became a very important stronghold.^{[citation needed]} In the 1960s, with Peronism outlawed, the province was governed by the Intransigent Radical Civic Union (UCRI) (1958-1962) and the Radical People's Civic Union (UCRP) (1963-1966), both divisions of radicalism. In 1969, Santa Fe and Rosario were important in the protests known as Rosariazo, "Mendozazo", together with the legendary Cordobazo (since its highest point occurred in the city of Córdoba), leaving traces in memory. city collective.

National law 22067 of September 5, 1979, provided that the eastern limit rests on the navigation channel of the Paraná River, due to this, numerous islands passed to the jurisdiction of Santa Fe, among them: Isla de los Pájaros, Pelada Island, Larga Island, La Paciencia Island, etc. As a consequence of the construction of the Rosario-Victoria Bridge and successive dredging, this navigation line has changed over time. Due to this modification, there are differences regarding the jurisdiction of some islands, mainly two located in front of the Santa Fe towns of Capitán Bermúdez and Granadero Baigorria, but administered by Entre Ríos, where Santa Fe maintains that the limit runs through the Distillery Channel and Entre Ríos, along the main channel of the Paraná River. There is also a dispute over the island "El Banquito", located in front of the port of Rosario.

21st century

Hermes Binner: first Socialist Governor of Argentina.

After the recovery of democracy, in 1983, the province was governed by Peronism. Despite the fact that in the 2003 elections the candidate with the most votes was the socialist Hermes Juan Binner, he did not come to power by electoral law called Ley de mottos. This law allowed several candidates from the same party to run at the same time and then the candidate with the most votes within the party (motto) who added the most votes in the general total came to power. It was repealed in 2004 by Governor Jorge Obeid.

Without the Ley de Lemas, in the elections of September 2, 2007, Binner, as a representative of the Civic and Social Progressive Front, obtained the governorship with 48.6% of the votes (856,641 votes) defeating the pro-government candidate Rafael Bielsa (Front for Victory) who obtained 38.79% of the vote (683,659 votes). Binner is the first socialist governor in Argentine history and is the first to belong to a party other than the Justicialista Party, after 24 consecutive years of government in Santa Fe.

In the provincial elections of July 24, 2011, the FPCyS (Civic and Social Progressive Front) managed, by a narrow margin, to retain the governorship, with the socialist Antonio Bonfatti, Minister of Government under Hermes Binner, being elected governor. However, for the first time since the Constitution was reformed, whoever won the executive election lost control of the Chamber of Deputies. Thus, the governor faces a majority opposition legislature.

Government

Former headquarters of the Santa Fe governorate.

The province is divided into 19 departments.

• The executive branch is in charge of a governor, democratically elected every four years, without the possibility of consecutive re-elections.
  

  Casa de Gobierno de la Provincia de Santa Fe en la Ciudad de Santa Fe
• The legislature is personified in the Legislature, divided into two chambers:
  • Senate, consisting of 19 senators, one for each department.
  • Chamber of Deputies, made up of 50 deputies elected in full every four years. Of these, 28 correspond to the party that had obtained more votes and the remaining 22 are provided among the rest. This representative inequality has become known as "the automatic majority," because it allows the party to control the legislation without the opposition.

Legislature of the Province of Santa Fe based in Santa Fe Capital

• The judiciary is formed by the Supreme Court and lower courts.

The departments lack any form of government or autonomous administration, the second level of government being municipal. The province is divided into a multitude of municipalities and communes. The municipalities are governed by a Council and an Executive Department headed by a Mayor. Both are elected by the people every four years, and the Council is renewed by halves every two years. The communes are administered by a Communal Commission, formed by three or five members, depending on the population of the commune. The Commission elects its communal president, who acts as mayor. There is also a Comptroller of Accounts Commission and a Board of Major Taxpayers, with eminently electoral functions, made up of the 25 natural persons who contribute the most to the provincial treasury. The communal authorities are elected every two years.

Constitution

Its first constitution, from 1819, was granted by Estanislao López, after rejecting a project presented by a Board of Representatives. Paternalistic in nature, over time it was adapted to give more power to the legislature.

The 2nd constitution, of 1841, was of a more modern nature, similar to that of the rest of the Argentine provinces.

The 3rd of 1853, was adopted with the requirements imposed by the National Constitution. It was reformed in 1863, 1872 and 1890, in which the position of lieutenant governor was created and the period of government was increased to four years.

The constitution of 1900, reformed in 1907, was in force in three periods: 1900-1932, 1935-1946 and 1955-1962. It was supplanted on two occasions, in the first by the 1921 constitution and in the second by that of 1949.

In 1921 a new constitution was sanctioned, but it was vetoed by Governor Enrique Mosca, because the convention had exceeded the 90 days that the law had granted him to carry out the reform. It was put into effect in 1932 by Governor Luciano Molinas, of the Progressive Democratic Party, which had inspired a large part of the 1921 reforms. After the federal intervention of 1935, the previous constitution was returned to.

In 1949, during the Peronist period, a new constitution was issued in the spirit of reforming the National Constitution. This was repealed after the 1955 coup.

The current constitution, from 1962, was approved on April 14 with great consensus at the time and incorporated many of the reforms that had been included in the 1921 constitution. Currently, the reform of the provincial constitution, the which could be carried out in the coming years.

Geography

Geographical aspects

Although it is a Mediterranean province, it has access to the sea through the Paraná River, which later became the Río de la Plata. Due to its extension, it is the tenth Argentine province. It spans a vast plain. The Salado River would indicate the approximate separation between the northern area, included in the Chaco region, and the southern area that belongs to the Pampean plain. This plain is the product of the accumulation of sediments of the Brasilia massif, during the Precambrian era. The highest parts are to the west of the province. To the south of the provincial capital, the coast of the Paraná River presents high ravines.

Relief

The relief of Santa Fe is an extensive plain inclined in a northwest-southeast direction, whose sediments have been filling a large subsidence tectonic trench. It differs in its northern and southern zones, which make up the Chaco and Pampas regions respectively, presenting different aspects: the subregions of the Eastern Chaco and the Fluvial Diagonal of the Chaco Region, and the subregions of the Northern Pampa or Colonia and the Wavy Pampas in the southern and southeastern half.

The Eastern Chaco, also known as the Submeridional Lowlands, is characterized by the uniformity of the soils, where the lack of drainage causes the formation of ravines, lagoons and flooded areas, coinciding with the periods of greatest rainfall. In the fluvial diagonal, in the northwest of the province, there is a flat relief with a gentle inclination towards the south and east, which determines the flow direction of the numerous streams, ravines and lagoons that cross them. There, a tree formation known as a wooded wedge is generated.

The transitional relief in the provincial center, gently undulating to flat or depressed in the vicinity of streams and rivers such as the Salado River, and where there are low forests to wide sheets of grasslands and grasslands, marks the link with the pampean area of the south. The northern Pampa that opens from here is characterized by the monotonous plain only interrupted by rivers, streams and gentle hills.

Finally, the Wavy Pampa, located southeast of the Carcarañá river, is a coastal strip that is topographically characterized by being less than 100 m above sea level; presenting gentle undulations with slopes of less than 5 meters and steep, terraced and meandering river valleys.

The highest point of the province is located in the rural area of the town of Armstrong (32°59′35.6″S 61°40′33″W / -32.993222, -61.67583), to the southwest of the province, with an altitude of 133 meters above sea level.

Seismicity

The province responds to the subfaults “del río Paraná”, and “del río de la Plata”, and the fault of “Punta del Este” , with low seismicity. Its last expressions occurred in addition to the 1948 earthquake, on June 5, 1888 (134 years old), at 3:20 UTC-3, with a magnitude of approximately 5.0 on the Richter scale (Río de la Plata earthquake of 1888).

Hydrography

Vista del río Paraná from the city of Rosario.

Cascada delbrook Pavón (Santa Fe).

The hydrography presents as a prominent feature the presence of the Paraná River, which also serves as the provincial boundary. In addition there are numerous "tributarios" rivers, including the Salado del Norte, Carcarañá and Arroyo del Medio from the west coast. All the territory of Santa Fe, due to its slope, belongs to the Paraná river basin and to the Río de la Plata basin. Only very few watercourses, located in a small sector of the western province, with poor flow, drain into the Cordoba lagoon of Mar Chiquita, located within the extensive basin without drainage that extends diagonally from the Puna to the southwest of Buenos Aires.

In the north and central region, wide canyons and troughs with a sharp slope towards the south channel the slow river currents to follow parallel to the Paraná for many kilometers, originating lagoons and marshes along their way. The course of the Salado River is an example of the behavior of surface waters in this part of the province. In the southern region, rivers and streams, such as Saladillo, Pavón and del Medio, follow the current from west to east that takes them in a short distance to Paraná.

The Salado River, after touring the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, Tucumán and Santiago del Estero, upon entering Santa Fe receives numerous channels and watercourses originating in lagoons and ravines: Calchaquí rivers, Las Conchas streams, San Antonio and Cululú, finally flowing into the Coronda River, an arm of the Paraná to the south of the city of Santa Fe. It presents a summer flood and a fall that covers the rest of the year.

The Carcarañá river basin extends partially in a thin transversal strip of southern Santa Fe, and its two main tributaries are the Tercero and Cuarto rivers, with the same rainfall regime. After establishing the boundary between Córdoba and Santa Fe for more than 150 km, the San Antonio channel, the Las Tortugas stream and the Cañada de Santa Lucía drain their waters into the Carcarañá river. This receives the Cañada de Gómez on the left bank, runs through flows and waterfalls, outcrops of coarse, becomes ravine and empties into the Coronda River, south of Gaboto.

Climate

The province is divided into 2 well-differentiated sectors in the north and center is the Chaco zone with a dry tropical climate. This is characterized by high temperatures throughout the year and a very mild and short winter. The amount of rainfall varies according to the season of the year, since summers are much rainier than winters. As the relief of Santa Fe is flat, the winds can enter the province without any difficulty. One of them is the north wind, which when blowing causes a rise in temperature throughout the region.

Among the original or native vegetation, adapted to the climatic conditions, the Chaco forest stands out in the north of the province. The number and variety of tree species decreases to the west, where humidity and rainfall are scarcer. Annual temperatures whose average is 21 ° C and rainfall between 800 and 1,100 millimeters per year, which decreases to the west. While as you go south the climate becomes temperate pampas with rainfall reaching 1000 mm, temperatures in the province, especially in the north of the province, usually exceed 45 °C, while frosts are common in winter. especially in the south of the province, in the province the characteristic winds of the central region of the country are common: the pampas, southeast and north or tropical winds. This climate is characterized by the most moderate temperatures and by clearly presenting the four seasons. And while the rainfall is sufficient, it rains less as we head west. In winter, very low temperatures are usually recorded, especially when a mass of cold or polar air that comes from the south of the country advances over the province. On these occasions, the temperature drops below 0 °C and there are some frosts, but snow is not common. The natural vegetation in the temperate plain is grassland (made up of grasses), although it has now been replaced by a variety of crops, including species for feeding livestock.

In the southern area, a temperate climate prevails with pampean characteristics: it does not record extreme heat or intense cold. Humidity is abundant due to rainfall, which is more intense in summer and falls harmoniously and regularly throughout the year. It is also worth mentioning other areas that have different climates. In the bordering region with Santiago del Estero there is a tropical climate with a dry season; the temperature variation is accentuated between the seasons and the rains predominate in summer. The tropical climate with no dry season is located in the northeast of the province, where rainfall is abundant throughout the year (exceeding 1,000 millimeters) and there are no major changes in temperature, the average of which is 20 °C.

Flora and fauna

The autochthonous conditions of the flora of Santa Fe have undergone changes due to the advancement of crops, to which has been added the introduction of exogenous trees, such as: paradise, poplar, eucalyptus, acacia, pine, banana.

In the northern and forested region, quebrachales and other hardwood trees abound, which form bushy mountains.

In the southern prairie, the ombú reigns, interrupting the endless sea of green pastures, while on the banks of the rivers, willows, ceibales, aromitos, ombúes, laurels, aguaribayes and carob trees grow. Among the characteristic herbs of the region we find red yuyo, chamomile, mallow, verbena, alfilerillo, horse vine, thistle, hemlock and thistle.

Native animals, naturally scarce in number in this region, were being thinned out by the expansion of livestock farming. Among the almost extinct autochthonous fauna, the deer, the skunk, the ñandú, the hairy, the mulita, the pampean fox, the vizcacha, the puma and the cat of the pajonales stand out. Next to these species, and next to the Paraná river, you can find yarará snakes, lizards, batrachians and birds such as the caracara (Caracara plancus), partridges, plovers, owls, owls, hummingbirds, horneros, benteveos and thrushes.

The fish fauna that develops in the Paraná River near the province of Santa Fe is made up of more than 200 species. Of these, various kinds of fish stand out, such as: dorado (Salminus brasiliensis), armed, surubí (Pseudoplatystoma), patí (Luciopimelodus pati), crappie, tarpon (Prochilodus lineatus), manduví (Ageneiosus valenciennesi), yellow, boga (Leporinus obtusidens), pacu (Piractus mesopotamicus ) and moncholo.

Protected natural areas

The province of Santa Fe has the Islas de Santa Fe National Park (2900 ha in the department of San Jerónimo), and a group of natural areas protected by the General Directorate of Ecology and Fauna Protection, and the RAMSAR site Jaaukanigás (492,000 in the General Obligado department).

Protected natural areas:

• Provincial Reserve La Loca (department Vera) - 2169 ha - provincial property
• Cayastá Provincial Reserve (Garay Department) - 299,9749 ha - provincial property
• Provincial Reserve Virá-Pitá (General Department) - 615 ha - provincial property
• Provincial Park Del Medio-Los Caballos (department San Javier) - 2050 ha - provincial property
• Potrero 7-b (Los Quebrachales) (Vera department) - 2000 ha - provincial property
• Reserva Escuela Granja de Esperanza (Department Las Colonias) - 33 ha - owned by the National University of the Litoral
• La Norma (department San Javier) - 6170 ha - private property
• Reserva La Loma del Cristal (department Vera) - 114 ha - private property
• Provincial Reserve Don Guillermo (department Vera) - 1431 ha propiedad privada
• El Estero Reserve (San Javier Department) - 4000 ha - private property
• Provincial Reserve Campo Salas (General Department) - 9897 ha - private property
• Provincial multi-purpose reserve Lagunas y Palmares (department Vera) - 4052 ha - private property
• Laguna La Salada Reserve (General López Department) - 200 ha - private property in the municipality of Rufino
• Los Médanos (Department General López) - 7,38 ha - property of the municipality of Rufino
• Reservation Island of the Sun (department Constitution) - 120 ha - property of the municipality of Villa Constitución
• Federico Wildermuth Foundation Reserve (San Martín Department) - 1283 ha - private property
• Humedal Melincué Reserve (General López Department) - 12 000 ha - provincial property
• Nature Reserve El Fisco (department San Cristobal) - 1573 ha - provincial property
• El Rico Provincial Reserve (San Jerónimo Department) - 2600 ha - provincial property

Administrative division

The province is divided into departments, and these in turn into districts, although in some cases the districts extend over more than one department: the Cafferata and Cañada del Ucle districts of the Gral. López department also cover part of the Caseros department, the Chañar Ladeado and Godeken districts of the Caseros department include parts of the General López department and the Firmat district of the Gral. López department also includes part of the Caseros and Constitución departments. In addition, the districts: Arminda, Coronel Arnold, Funes, Ibarlucea and Zavalla, extend between the Rosario and San Lorenzo departments. Each municipality or commune is included in a single district. For a complete list of municipalities and communes.

Departments have a statistical, electoral, and organizational function of provincial-level agencies, such as the police. The province uses the system of adjoining commons for its municipalities, so these cover the entire provincial territory. The Constitution of Santa Fe does not recognize the municipal autonomy enshrined in the National Constitution in 1994.

Administrative division of the province of Santa Fe and its capital.

Departments of the Argentine province of Santa Fe ordered according to their number of inhabitants. (2010 Census).

Regions

Starting in 2008, the province of Santa Fe, in a process of administrative decentralization, was territorially divided into 5 regions within the scope of the Provincial Strategic Plan (PEP). Each region has a Node and each of these a Civic Center. Regionalization makes it possible to integrate previously disconnected territories, and balance the capacities of the State throughout the province). Annual citizen assemblies are held in the civic centers. The five regions in which the province was organized are: Region 1 – Reconquista Node; Region 2 - Rafaela Node; Region 3 - Santa Fe Node; Region 4 - Rosario Node; Region 5 – One-Eyed Deer Node.

Center Region

Map of the Central Region.

On August 15, 1998, the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe signed the Regional Integration Treaty between the Provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe "in order to promote economic and social development by virtue of the provisions of Article 124 of the National Constitution and human development, health, education, science, knowledge and culture..."

On April 6, 1999, the Act of Integration of the Province of Entre Ríos to the Regional Integration Treaty was signed, thus establishing the Central Region.

Demographics

Population density (Censo 2010).

The 2010 national census established a population of 3,200,736. Most of the Santa Fe population is concentrated in the south and center of the province. The center of greatest population and economic concentration is the city of Rosario (population, 1,198,528 in 2010), representing a 37.4% concentration of the provincial population. They are followed, in terms of population, by Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz (653,073 inhabitants), capital of the province, which brings together 16.14% of the population of Santa Fe (2001); Rafaela (100,000 inhabitants), center of the national dairy industry; Venado Tuerto (82,000 inhabitants), regional center in the south of the province; Villa Gobernador Gálvez (78,000 inhabitants), part of the Rosario agglomeration; Reconquista (77,000 inhabitants), the largest city in the north of Santa Fe; Santo Tomé (66,000 inhabitants), part of the Santa Fe conurbano; among 8 other cities with more than 25,000 inhabitants.

The origin of the population is mainly European, a descendant of the great wave of immigration of 1850-1950, among which the descendants of Italians (Piedmontese), Spanish, and to a lesser extent Swiss and German in very remote areas stand out. specific. Since 1970, Rosario has been a city of great attraction for internal migrants, mainly from the north of Santa Fe and the rest of the northern provinces. Among them, the large Toba contingent stands out, coming from the bordering province of Chaco.

Main urban centers

Population distribution

The population density in the province was 22.6 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2001, while the masculinity index (or sex ratio) amounted to 94.2 men for every one hundred women in 2001.

Santa Fe is the third national district with the lowest fertility figures, only higher than the City of Buenos Aires and the province of Córdoba. In 2001, a rate of 2.23 children per woman was registered in the province of Santa Fe, while a projection made by INDEC indicates that in 2010 the register falls to 1.98 children per woman.

Indigenous population

In the 2001 population census, INDEC recorded the presence of people belonging to more than twenty different indigenous groups. The two most important communities are the Toba (there are 1,822 households in the province of Santa Fe made up of people of that ethnic group) and the Mocoví (1,798 households). Originating from the Tupi Guarani (in 634 homes), Mapuche (in 396), Calchaquí (389), Chané (139), Quechua (132), Tehuelche (82) and Wichi (50) groups were also registered.

Economy

Santa Fe's economy is the second largest in the country. Representing 8% of the total for Argentina, production is estimated at ARS 27 billion in 2006, that is, USD 9,000 per capita (around the national average). Although the economy is well diversified, agriculture still has an indispensable role to play through foreign exchange earnings and the profitability of ITS exports. Twenty-one percent of Argentina's cultivated land is in Santa Fe, whose main crops are soybeans (main national producer), sunflower, corn and wheat. On a smaller scale, strawberries, honey and its derivatives (300,000 beehives), wood and cotton.

The green grass of the provinces is ideal for the 6.5 million head of cattle (20% of national stocks), which in practice is not only a source of meat, but also 2.6 million liters of milk per day (40% of national production).

Between the ports Rosario and San Lorenzo are starting points for the export of the production of Santa Fe and many other provinces, through which they leave 65% of Argentine cereals and 55% of the country's exports. In 2004, Santa Fe's exports (USD 7.17 billion) represented 21% of the national total. Between 2001 and 2004 they increased 65.2%. Derivatives of soybeans, vegetable oils and meals made up of more than USD 2 billion and more than 7.6 million tons. In 2005 the southern ports of Santa Fe sent 60% of the grains, 93% Agriculture and by-products 85% of the vegetable oils exported by Argentina.

Manufacturing in Santa Fe represents 18% of its economy and is also among the top in Argentina. Mills that produce different types of flour, oil, beer, and other food, textile and leather industries, hydrocarbons, steel refineries (1 million tons per year) and metal production, industrial and agricultural machines, the automobile industry and others.

The service sector is well developed and highly diversified, with little reliance on tourism or the public sector. Tourism is not a major activity despite the wide range of hotels and restaurants. The city of Santa Fe, the ruins of Cayastá, the replication of Sancti Spiritus, and Rosario are the main destinations.

• Agriculture: includes the cultivation of oleaginous (soja, sunflower and corn), being one of the provinces with the greatest soy production. There are also wheat and sorghum crops. After Buenos Aires, she is the main producer of wheat. Other crops: fruit (in Coronda), potato in Arroyo Seco.

• Winning: intensive breeding in the north, and intensive wintering in the center and south, and in the islands of Paraná. The work represents 20% of the national total.

• Industry: the oil industry, flour mills, dairy production(Firstly Departments "Las Colonias" and "Castellanos"), meat, powdered milk for export and honey production. In addition, the steel mill (Villa Constitución), the automotive sector (in Alvear), appliances and vehicles (in Santa Fe), the manufacture of agricultural machinery and tools (Firmat, San Vicente, Rafaela, Granadero Baigorria) play a leading role in the economy of the province.

• Services: There are a large number of private service companies of different types (administration, communications, education, transport, logistics, engineering, textile design, among others).

According to the 2020/21 National Economic Census carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, the province of Santa Fe registered 29,870 productive units. 25.96% are represented by Other services, 24.4% are trade and transport, 15.9% agriculture, 14.6% real estate and business services, 12.3% industry, 5.3% in construction, 1.1% in finance and 0.8% in mining.

By November 2022, inflation in the province was 4.9% per month and an accumulated rate for 2022 of 82.7% according to the Provincial Institute of Statistics and Censuses (IPEC).

Potential dependency ratio

The potential dependency ratio expresses the number of potentially non-economically active people who would be supported by the total potentially active population.

Culture

The province of Santa Fe is heir to a rich tradition born from the conjunction of indigenous cultures (where the groups from Chaco, Pampas and Guarani converge), the contributions of the first settlers of Asuncian and Spanish origin (notably Basque and Andalusian) and their own local development during the colonial era. Santa Fe is one of the provinces that shaped the Argentine identity from its origin, defending federalism and autonomy, which determined a set of ideas, traditions and customs based on freedom, a certain individualism and a deep love for the native land. These characteristics were developed during the almost two centuries of independent life, combined with the contributions of immigrant communities and the development of a society immersed in the modern world.

Education

The province of Santa Fe is a great educational hub, it has a large number of universities, mostly located in the capital of Santa Fe and Rosario. The most important university is the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, created in 1919 on the basis of existing law studies at the University of Santa Fe founded in 1889. It is considered the mother of universities since it was the first created by the University Reform of 1918 and the model to follow for later educational centers. It was created as a regional University since in its origins it covered the provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Corrientes. It is considered one of the most important universities in law, which is why it was chosen as the setting for the reforms of the national constitution and for the first mandatory presidential debate in 2019. It is made up of 9 faculties, 1 higher institute, 4 university schools, 2 of intermediate level and 1 of initial and primary level.

Image of the Paraninfo of the National University of Litoral. Located in the Historic Apple, this building was the headquarters of the reforms of the National Constitution and 1.♪ Presidential debate.

The National University of Rosario created during the dictatorship of General Juan Carlos Onganía in 1968 through the so-called Law 17,987. Its founding structure was a detachment from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, from which it took its first academic and administrative bodies, which at that time consisted of: the faculties of Medical Sciences; Exact Sciences, Engineering and Surveying; of architecture; of Economic Sciences; Philosophy and Educational Sciences; Law and Political Science; of Dentistry; of Agricultural Sciences; the Hospitals-School "del Centenario" and from "Baigorria"; and the three secondary schools that depended on it, in addition to the Superior Institute of Music of Rosario. His motto "Confingere Hominem Cogitantem" means "We Form Men Who Think".

Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering and Agrimensura based in Rosario.

The National Technological University with headquarters in Santa Fe Capital (Santa Fe Regional Faculty), Rosario (Rosario Regional Faculty), Reconquista, Rafaela and Venado Tuerto.

Other important universities are the Catholic University of Santa Fe, the Italian University Institute of Rosario, the Inter-American Open University, the Austral University, the Argentine Catholic University, and the University of the Latin American Educational Center (Ucel).

Universal, secular, public and free education is widespread at the initial, middle and higher levels, but there are also private educational institutions, mainly Catholic confessionals.

As a complement to compulsory training, various institutions operate with a wide range of courses of different kinds. The educational work of the Municipal Lyceum is noteworthy, which with five schools of various branches, teaches languages free of charge, body expression, has writing workshops, musical initiation and specialization in orchestral instruments.

Gastronomy

The Gastronomy of Santa Fe, like that of the Pampean region, is characterized and differentiated from the gastronomy of the rest of America by two European contributions: Spanish and Italian, which constitute its main characteristics, completed by the contributions of indigenous ethnic groups and other European communities (German, Swiss, French, Russian, among others) One of the traditional foods of Santa Fe is grilled tarpon (Prochilodus lineatus), a native river fish of that area. This dish is so popular that fans of Club Atlético Colón are popularly known as sabaleros. Marinated duck and stuffed fish are also typical.

Matte

To know the first moments in the history of Mate as an infusion we have to refer to the history of the city of Santa Fe. The first utensils and the oldest known on Planet Earth are found in this city and were excavated in the archaeological site of Santa Fe la Vieja.

The history of yerba mate and its reaffirmation in popular culture as a native food, had the city of Santa Fe as one of the main protagonists. This is due to the fact that on December 31, 1662, at the request of Santa Fe and Asunción, Santa Fe was established as the precise port, forcing Paraguayan vessels to comply with their registration in Santa Fe. to disembark in Santa Fe, all merchandise from Paraguay to be distributed to the world, including Yerba Mate, destined for Chile and Upper Peru.

Smooth and Beer

Regarding alcoholic beverages, the consumption of liso stands out, a measure of unpasteurized beer similar to Chopp created by the German immigrant businessman Otto Schneider at the City Bar in the city of Santa Fe. Its popularity is so great that in In the capital city, per capita beer consumption doubles the national average and the smooth was declared a cultural heritage in 2014.

The history of beer in this region dates back to 1884, in an event that occurred in San Carlos Sud, where the first brewery in the Province of Santa Fe was founded. San Carlos Brewery is also the third oldest brewery in the country behind the Bieckert (1855) and the Kleinmann (1869), and Cervecería San Carlos is also considered the "Mother of Cervecerías", since the foundation of the Santa Fe and Schneider breweries are directly related to this.

Every year the "Fiesta Argentina de la Cerveza" is held in the town of San Carlos, in the Swiss colony of Grütly the "Provincial Fiesta del Liso" is commemorated, while that in the city of Santa Fe the "Fiesta de la Chopera" is held.

Santa Fe Alfajor

The most traditional and famous dessert is the "alfajor from Santa Fe." the city of Santa Fe and were popularized by the constituents who attended the city in 1853. The nickname "Merengo" gave rise to a brand that is achieved to this day, being the oldest in Argentina.

The Santa Fe alfajor is a recipe that identifies the city of Santa Fe and represents the entire province throughout the country. Although it has taken root in each house and in each confectionery with different variants, the basic ingredients are the same: toasted dough cookies filled with dulce de leche and dipped in meringue or icing.

Literature

Within literature, Santa Fe is the birthplace of great writers, such as Alicia Barberis, Alfredo Julio Grassi, Gastón Gori, Julio Migno, Carlos Pierre, Laura Devetach, Hugo Mandón, Juan José Saer, Esteban Laureano Maradona, José Pedroni and Diana Bellessi among many others.

Music

In most of the province the main musical genre is cumbia, of which there are 2 subgenres where the main instrument is different. A subgenre is practiced with the guitar, and another, more popular, practiced with the accordion. The santafesina cumbia with accordion has its bases in the Colombian cumbia, and for that reason there is a great similarity with the music of that country. The santafesina cumbia was born in the City of Santa Fe, the provincial capital and the province as a whole enjoys a large number of practicing and amateur musicians. Its main instruments are: the guitar or the accordion (depending on the subgenre), the bass, the güira (known as güiro), the timbaleta, the kongas, among others. One of the most important references is Los Palmeras but there are many more groups of national and even international importance.

The city of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz has also produced great exponents of Argentine folklore such as Horacio Guarany and Orlando Vera Cruz, these musical styles are very popular in rural areas of the provincial interior with genres such as chamamé, chamarrita, chacarera, zamba, valseados, among some others.

The popular genres of cumbia and folklore also coexist with rock in the province. Litto Nebbia, a native of Rosario, is considered one of the founders of rock in Spanish with his band Los Gatos Salvajes whose album was released in 1965. The musician Fito Páez, an exponent of rock in Spanish at the South American level since the mid-80s is also native of the great city of the provincial south.

In the central area of the province, an area that was colonized at the end of the XIX century by European immigrants, The genres of different European communities, such as the waltz and the polka, are maintained strongly in popular festivals.

Language

Santa Fe province is one of the main provinces where the Castilian dialect of the River Plate is spoken. Dialect differences with Buenos Aires and other cities in the same area are few, although on average Santa Fe aspirates and suppresses the final -s more than porteños, since the latter do not aspirate the "-eses" at the end of each word.

On the other hand, in the Province of Santa Fe a certain number of unknown words and locutions are in use both in Buenos Aires and in Spain. Most of such words are not exclusive to Santa Fe Capital and Rosario, but are also used within the province and other cities, such as Córdoba; but they constitute a clearly differentiating element between the Santa Fe and Buenos Aires varieties of Castilian from the River Plate. Examples:

In addition to Spanish in this province, the indigenous languages that have been spoken for thousands of years in this territory survive, including the Qom and Moqoit languages.

Sports

Within the sport of Santa Fe, we must highlight Criollo Tennis, a game very similar to English Tennis (it is played on a smaller court and with a wooden paddle), this sport was born at the Regatas club in Santa Fe Capital by the '40s. Its popularity is so great that people from Santa Fe often have to clarify if they are talking about "racket tennis" or "english tennis" to differentiate it from the autochthonous variant.

As it occurs in many Argentine provinces, soccer is by far the most important sport in terms of the number of followers and the economic movement generated around it. The most important football clubs are:

• Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys (Rosario)
• Club Atlético Rosario Central (Rosario)
• Club Atlético Central Córdoba (Rosario)
• Club Atlético Argentino (Rosario)
• Club Atlético Tiro Federal Argentino (Rosario)
• Club Atlético de Rafaela (Rafaela)
• Club Atlético Colón (Santa Fe)
• Club Atlético Unión de Santa Fe (Santa Fe)

The most important clásicos are the clásico Santafesino played by Unión and Colón and the Clásico Rosarino played between Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central. Rosario Central, Newell's Old Boys and Colón are the only teams in the province to obtain professional titles, and are also the only clubs in the interior to do so. The leprous team is the most successful with 6 titles while the rogue team is the only one that won an international cup. The most important soccer organization in the province is the Santa Fe Soccer Federation.

In basketball, Unión de Santa Fe won the Argentine Club Championship in 1943 and 1969, while Libertad de Sunchales was champion of the National Basketball League in 2007-08. Meanwhile, PSM Vóley competes in the Argentine Volleyball League.

After soccer, rugby is another sport that moves passion. The province has two unions: Santafesina and Rosario; The Rosario team participates in the First Division of the Argentine Rugby Championship. Annually, the Regional Coastal Tournament is held, which brings together clubs from the unions of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Rosario.

Motor racing is very popular in Santa Fe. The Rafaela, Rosario and San Jorge racetracks have hosted national championships such as Turismo Carretera, TC 2000 and Top Race, while Rafaela hosted the 1971 Indy300 a date of the USAC National Championship of the United States and also the famous 500 Millas Argentina. Since 2006, the Santa Fe Grand Prix has been held, a street car race where the Turismo Competición 2000 participates, although the "Carlos Reutemann" del parque del sur was used for the first time in December 1984 and in 2008 it was replaced by a new layout on Alem avenue in the provincial capital. One of the greatest exponents of South American motorsport was the Santa Fe driver Carlos Reutemann, Formula 1 driver for Ferrari and Williams among other teams. Once he retired from motorsports, he dedicated himself to politics, he was Governor of the province on two occasions and National Senator three times. We also have to mention Oscar "Poppy" Laraurri who competed in Formula 1 for the Eurobrun Racing team. Within speed motorcycling, the work of Sebastián Porto stands out.

Another sport that has produced figures of the highest international level is boxing. Among them are: Amílcar Brusa, Juan Martín Coggi, Miguel Ángel Cuello, Julio César Vásquez, Mauro Cía, Marcos René Maidana, Carlos Manuel Baldomir and Carlos Monzón, among many other glories.

Santa Fe is the capital of kayaking, that is due to the fact that the capital city is surrounded by rivers and lagoons, making it an ideal place to practice water sports. However, kayaking is also popular in the area between Rosario and Granadero Baigorria.

Stadiums

Santa Fe has three stadiums with a minimum capacity of 35,000 people each. These stadiums are: Brigadier General Estanislao López Stadium (Colón), Gigante de Arroyito Stadium (Rosario Central) and Marcelo Bielsa Stadium (Newell's Old Boys), there is also the 15 de Abril Stadium (under remodeling) of the Club Atlético Unión with a capacity for 31,000 people and the Nuevo Monumental Stadium of the Atlético de Rafaela club, with a maximum capacity for 24,000 people.

The stadiums in the province that have FIFA approval for the Argentine team to play official matches are those of Rosario Central, which in turn hosted the 1978 Soccer World Cup and the 1987 Copa América. de Newell's hosted the 2001 U-20 Soccer World Cup. And the Brigadier López de Colón hosted the 2011 Copa América and various Rugby competitions.

Tourism

Pendant bridge of the city of Santa Fe.

Santa Fe city offers night attractions, sports, cultural and social events of different kinds. Also in recent years, the waterfront area in this city and the Hanging Bridge, the Casino and the La Ribera shopping center have become important, attracting Brazilian, European and North American tourists. There is a project to create two other shopping centers in the city, one by the Chilean company Cencosud and the other by IRSA, within the framework of a transformation of several areas to turn them into tourist areas, which would add two shopping centers to the three existing.

The Uranga-Sylvestre Begnis subfluvial tunnel (previously called Hernandarias), under the Paraná river, between Santa Fe capital and Paraná the capital of the province of Entre Ríos.

The Ruins of Cayastá (the old settlement of the city of Santa Fe), 40 km northeast of the capital.

The National Monument to the Flag, in the city of Rosario.

El Campo de la Gloria (in the city of San Lorenzo, 25 km north of Rosario, where the Combate de San Lorenzo took place in 1813).

El Cristal Lagoon. Tourist complex located 25 km from the city of Calchaquí with ample space for camping, watching native flora and fauna, a museum, and with great archaeological wealth due to indigenous settlements in that area in the past.

Media

There are various newspapers in circulation, among them La Capital, El Litoral, Diario Uno, Diario Castellanos, Diario la Opinión, El Santafesino, El Ciudadano, "Estrella de la mañana", among others.

In addition, in the province there are Telefe channels, in Rosario and in Santa Fe Capital, there is an El Trece channel in Rosario. The province also has its television channel.

Northwest: Santiago del Estero	North: Chaco	Northeast: Current
West: Córdoba		This: Between Rios
Southwest: Córdoba	South: Buenos Aires	Sureste: Buenos Aires

Notable personalities

Twinnings

California, USA. UU. (2004)

State of Parana, Brazil (2004)

Odessa, Ukraine

Krai de Perm, Russia (2000)

Piedmont, Italy (1997)